MLB Player News

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Sewald (oblique) played catch from 60 feet Monday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

The right-hander suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain late in spring training, so the fact he's back to throwing just over a week later is an encouraging development. Sewald will need to progress to throwing long toss before moving onto bullpen sessions, so he shouldn't be expected to be activated when first eligible April 9.

Brasier is starting Tuesday's game against the Giants, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Timesreports.

The veteran right-hander has given up one run and recorded three strikeouts over three innings this season, and he will make the second start of his career Tuesday as he serves as Los Angeles' opener. Ryan Yarbrough is expected to serve as the primary pitcher behind Brasier, though Michael Grove could also be in the mix.

The Phillies selected Pinto from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

In a corresponding move, Connor Brogdon was designated for assignment. Pinto signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies in February. The pitcher spent 2023 playing in Mexico and Venezuela, where he had a 4.12 ERA across 137.2 innings. When he last pitched in affiliated baseball in 2022, Pinto posted a 3.58 ERA across 32.2 innings for Triple-A Toledo in the Tigers organization. Pinto was serviceable in Grapefruit League play this spring, allowing two earned runs in 5.2 innings.

The Phillies designated Brogdon for assignment Tuesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Brogdon will lose his spot on Philadelphia's 40-man roster one day after surrendering four runs (three earned) over just two-thirds of an inning Monday against the Reds. The 29-year-old righty holds a 3.88 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in his MLB career and may attract interest from other teams in need of bullpen depth. Ricardo Pinto was selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move.

Gage was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Taylor Trammell. Gage was acquired via trade from the Yankees in February but did not make the Opening Day roster. He holds a 1.83 ERA and 20:9 K:BB across 19.2 innings in the majors, so there could be some interest via trade or waivers.

Marte threw a perfect inning while striking out one in Monday's 6-3 loss against the Reds.

Through three appearances, the relief pitcher has covered three innings while recording one walk and two strikeouts. Marte hasn't been used in any high-leverage situations, as he's taken the mound in each of the team's losses, with two outings coming when the score was well out of reach. Expect the 29-year-old to remain in a low-leverage role for the immediate future.

Brogdon (0-1) took the loss in Monday's 6-3 extra-inning defeat at the hands of the Reds. He allowed four runs on one hit and three walks while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning.

Making an appearance in three of four games since Opening Day, Brogdon has experienced a shaky early part of the season. The fifth-year pitcher has given up multiple runs in two of his three outings, including Monday's. To make matters worse, he's struggling to find the strike zone, as he's walked six batters despite not pitching more than a single frame in any appearance. With the Phillies missing four different bullpen members due to injury, Brogdon's spot on the roster appears safe for now, but continual poor performances could see him shift to the minors in short order.

Garcia (0-1) took the loss against the Pirates on Monday, allowing one run on one hit in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

The southpaw struck out Oneil Cruz to end the sixth inning after replacing Derek Law on the mound, but a Michael Taylor bunt single to lead off the seventh for Pittsburgh eventually led to the former Nats outfielder coming around to score and breaking a 3-3 tie after Garcia had turned things over to Matt Barnes. Garcia could see a heavy workload in 2024 as the only lefty in the Nats' bullpen, and he's already made three appearances in Washington's first four games, posting a 4:0 K:BB in 2.2 innings and giving up only Monday's run so far.

Tonkin (0-1) took the loss Monday as the Mets were downed 5-0 in 10 innings by the Tigers, getting charged with five unearned runs on only two hits in an inning of relief. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

After nine scoreless innings, the 10th was a disaster for the Mets, as a hit-by-pitch on Mark Canha and a Joey Wendle fielding error contributed to the meltdown. Tonkin has yet to give up an earned run in three innings to begin the season while posting a 2:1 K:BB, but his lower-leverage role limits his fantasy appeal even in NL-only formats.

Bender was charged with two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an innings during Monday's loss to the Angels. He struck out one without walking a batter.

The right-hander's final line was a little unlucky, as the second run charged to him scored on a Burch Smith balk after Bender had left the game. Bender threw only 19.1 big-league innings the prior two years, largely due to Tommy John surgery in August 2022, but he's had a solid start to his 2024 campaign and has posted a 5:1 K:BB through 2.2 innings, with Monday's runs being the first on his ledger. Tanner Scott's control has nearly completely deserted him to begin the season, so Bender might get a chance to reclaim the closer role he briefly held early in 2022.